


Slayer Moves

by 1848pianist



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-25
Updated: 2014-02-25
Packaged: 2018-01-13 17:05:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1234318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1848pianist/pseuds/1848pianist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Willow wants to learn some of Buffy's fighting techniques. You know. For curiosity's sake.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Slayer Moves

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place at the beginning of season three, when Buffy has just returned to Sunnydale.

“Hey, Buffy!”

Buffy glanced up from her lunch, which she had yet to identify.

“Hi, Willow.” She moved over on the bench to give her friend room.

“Are you going to the Bronze tonight?” Willow looked hopeful. “Have you been back since you… you know, got back?”

“I went last week. Remember? You and me and Xander and everybody?”

“Oh, right, when you left early. Well, anyway, what about tonight?”

Buffy groaned. “I can’t. You wouldn’t believe the training stuff Giles is making me do. Not to mention the schoolwork.”

“That’s okay. Xander and Cordelia can’t come either.” A look of disappointment flashed across Willow’s face before she brightened again. “Hey, I have an idea.”

“What’s that?”

“I could come with you to training,” Willow said, eyes widening in excitement. “You know, so I can learn to take care of myself. Or I can help you, if you get into trouble.”

“Are you sure this has nothing to do with all the slaying you did over the summer?” Buffy asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Well, maybe a little,” Willow admitted. “I was starting to get good at it, though. I mean, I usually slayed them as soon as they came out of the ground, when they were still kind of disoriented, but you know what they say about an ounce of prevention!”

“I don’t know, Will. It’s not exactly safe work.”

“I’d be safer if I knew some Slayer moves, wouldn’t I? Come on, Buffy! _Please_?”

Buffy smiled as she gave in. “All right. But no practicing on real vampires.”

“Except when absolutely necessary,” Willow replied, satisfied with her victory.”

“Just one condition,” Buffy said.

 

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Willow asked as she followed Buffy to the library after school. “I mean, won’t he be mad? At you?”

“Hey, you wanted to learn Slayer moves. I’m just getting a little fun out of it.”

“Okay,” Willow agreed. “I can’t wait to see his face.”

Buffy smiled back. “Me either. Wait here until you see us starting.”

“You got it. But are you sure?”

“You’ll be fine, Willow. Giles is never mad at you.” Buffy walked into the library, trying to act as normally as possible while she waited for her Watcher.

“Hello, Buffy.”

“Hi, Giles. What’s the plan for today?”

“Some basic drills, followed by weapons work and your history homework.” He presented her with a blindfold and a rubber ball.

Buffy groaned. “I knew you’d say that. I _hate_ this drill.”

“You hate it because you find it difficult.”

“I’ve been getting better,” Buffy retorted, tying the blindfold with reluctance.

“Good luck is not the same as improvement,” Giles said dryly. “Try to listen.”

“Listening,” she replied, waiting for Willow to make her move.

There was a thump and an ‘ouch!’ from behind her. She turned and pulled the bandana off to see Willow standing behind Giles and looking sheepish, a second rubber ball at her feet.

“It wasn’t my idea,” Willow said quickly.

Giles, rubbing the back of his head, scowled at Buffy.

“The Slayer always has someone to watch her back,” she said, smothering her laughter in the blindfold. “Besides, I think it’s an unfair drill, since you’ve had so much practice being quiet as a librarian and all.”

“Yes, I’m sure that vampires will endeavor to make the fight fair,” Giles sighed. “Hello, Willow.”

“Hi, Giles. Buffy said I could come learn some Slayer moves, as long as I, um—sorry about your head.”

“Witchcraft and fighting vampires. Willow’s very well rounded,” Buffy added.

“That’s me. Boundless curiosity,” Willow agreed.

Giles still looked skeptical. “Willow, I’m not sure this is a good idea.”

“Why? Because it’s dangerous?”

“Well, yes—”

“We’ve been over this with the witchcraft stuff, Giles. I can handle myself.”

“Very well,” Giles said with a resigned expression, remembering that Willow had a knack for breaking into his office for books on magic he had taken off the shelves. There was nothing to say that Buffy wouldn’t teach her everything on their own time, anyway.

“Great! Where do I start?” Willow asked.

“Basic kicks and strikes?” Buffy suggested. Giles nodded, going to retrieve the sparring pads. He hoped that Willow would be a gentler opponent than Buffy, but considering the headache he now had, his hopes weren’t high.

“Buffy, a roundhouse kick followed by a left outside crescent kick and a reverse punch,” he said as he walked back into the library.

“Please, you think that using my left side is going to throw me off?” Buffy grinned.

“Just keeping you on your toes,” Giles said as Buffy kicked the wind out of him.

Willow watched the complicated sequence of moves, wide-eyed.

“I’m not sure I’m ready for that, yet,” she said.

“Yeah, why’d you show her that?” Buffy asked, although she enjoyed the chance to show Willow the fancier moves that were rather impractical for basic patrolling.

“If I’m going to be training both of you at once,” Giles panted, “I can’t afford to let you become lax with your own technique.”

“Well, it was pretty cool,” Buffy said to Willow, completely ignoring the warning.

“Definitely,” Willow agreed. “I just don’t think my legs move that far.”

“We can start with some front kicks,” Buffy said.

“Ahem,” said Giles, just to remind them he was still there.

“Hey, maybe we can get to some weapons training!” Buffy went on.

“Buffy, focus, _please_ ,” Giles said impatiently.

“Yes, Drill Sergeant,” she muttered. Willow smiled in sympathy.

“Show Willow what a front kick looks like. _Slowly_ , so that she can see it.”

Buffy complied, slowly sticking her leg straight out and promptly losing her balance in the process.

“It’s more difficult that way, isn’t it?” Giles took a little satisfaction at the glare Buffy sent his way as she got back to her feet.

“How is falling over going to stop vampires?” Willow asked.

“Maybe they’ll take it for a trap,” Giles said dryly. Buffy kicked him in the ribs. But not as hard as she could have.

“Slowly!”

“It’s okay, I wasn’t watching,” Willow said, with a shameless grin. “Do it again.”

Buffy kicked again, a little more forcefully. She winced as Giles hit the floor.

“Whoops.”

“Sorry about your head, Giles,” said Willow.

“I’m going to get an ice pack,” Giles said, standing up rather gingerly. “You two… train,” he added vaguely.

When he returned, Buffy and Willow were sitting on the edge of the table and looking innocent.

“I taught her something,” Buffy informed him before he could comment on their current inactivity. “Show him,” she said to Willow.

“Are you sure?” Willow asked. Buffy nodded encouragingly.

“Okay,” she said. “So, Giles, you punch at me…”

Giles obliged, confident he wouldn’t sustain any serious injuries from a beginner, even if she had been fighting vampires all summer.

Only to have Willow knock him down with a sweep to the legs.

“Ooh, not the head again,” Willow said, wincing in sympathy.

“I hope you’re enjoying this,” Giles said to Buffy from the floor.

“Yep,” she agreed.

 

“You know, we’ve barely hung out since you got back, except for this,” Willow said as they walked out of the library.

Buffy smiled. “It’s a great bonding experience. We’ll have to do it again sometime.”

“Sure, if Giles agrees. I’ll be taking on vampires before you know it.”

“I can’t believe he’s not mad at you. When I knock him down, he gets all irritated for some reason.”

Willow shrugged. “Once you’ve compared notes on protection spells with someone, it’s hard to stay angry with them.”

“That must be it. Hey, I wonder if there’ll be any inexperienced vampires on patrol tonight.”


End file.
